BJP calls Rahul`s padyatra ‘political tour’

New Delhi: BJP on Saturday said Rahul Gandhi`s
padyatra in Uttar Pradesh would be treated merely as a
"political tour" unless the Congress governments increase land
acquisition compensations to farmers in states like
Maharashtra and explain why farmer suicides were taking place.

"Gandhi should first go into the questions of why 10
lakh farmer suicides have taken place in the country. Before
asking the UP government what injustice it is doing to
farmers, he should answer why injustice was done and
atrocities visited on the unarmed, innocent people at Ramlila
grounds by the police," BJP President Nitin Gadkari said.
He was replying to questions from the media at the
party headquarters here.

Gadkari also sought answers from Gandhi on deaths caused
by hunger due to increasing prices.
Gandhi, who started his padyatra at Bhatta-Parsaul
villages in Greater Noida four days back, today held a Kisan
Mahapanchayat at Aligarh. At the well-attended public meeting
he lashed out at the Mayawati government in UP over its
anti-farmer compensation policy for the agriculturists whose
land was acquired by the state government.

"The land acquisition compensation in Maharashtra is
even less that UP. Farmers are exploited there. If Gandhi
stops this then people will believe him else this is just a
political tour," Gadkari said.

He further asked Gandhi to clarify why tear gas was
used on the crowd at Ramlila ground, women, children and
sadhus beaten mercilessly when they had "not even thrown a
stone" at the police.